Stitchers Ramblings

As for those who do not know me, I am actually a reader who would like variety in her reading life. But sometime in the middle of this year, I decided to read books based on Themes. Actually it started in March, when I decided to read books that has one-word titles. What I mean is, the title of the books I've read contains only one line. So I called it March One-Liners. Like for examples: Beastly, Shiver, Neverwhere, Flipped, Ingo, and others like that. Then in June, my book theme was June Fantasy; so I read books about dragons, witches, knights, faeries and even aliens. Here are the books I've read during that month: Eragon - About dragons. Lament - Self explanatory. The Summer Country / Avalon High - Both are Arthurian stories. Peter and the Starcatchers - Peter Pan. Stranger in a Strange Land - Alien from Mars. Cloaked - A fairytale (about Frog Prince). In July, I tagged that month as July Book-to-Films because most of the books I've read were made into movies. Red Riding Hood. A Bend in the Road. City of Ember. The Lovely Bones and The Golden Compass.

August was more of the Narrative Mode month, where the narrator is the actual character in the story. To explain better; the story is relayed by a narrator who is also a character within the story, so that the narrator reveals the plot by referring to this viewpoint character as "I". Example of the books I've read where the storyteller is always the first-person: Careful What You Wish For, Would You, Simmer Down, The Manolo Matrix, Shadowland, Red Blooded Murder and Winter Rose. And last month, my theme was simple: September Chick-Lit; a genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. Those I really enjoyed were: Love The One You're With, Remember Me, Spying In High Heels, Who's That Girl & LA Candy. For this month, I call it October Duos, where I'm gonna read either anthologies, bundles or those that has Book 1 & Book 2. I've already started with Irish Girls About Town, and have started the 2 Darkwing Chronicles (Beyond The Pale & Past Redemption.) Hopefully next week, I'll be able to start the Riley Bloom series (Radiance & Shimmer) and then the Donovan Legacies (by Nora Roberts). Oh this is gonna be an exciting month. Hope I would be able to stay true to my themed reading. Have a nice weekend everyone!

I still enjoyed reading a good book once in a while, after I've gotten an idea about the story of course. Yet, I was disappointed because the funny lines were'nt there. Inconceivable! The story of Princess Buttercup and her true love Westley and their adventures is fun, of course, and wonderfully whimsical and inventive, but it has less heart than the movie version. Okay enough of the comparison. Overall, I'll just say that The Princess Bride is one of the most romantic stories ever written and definitely the most charming! It made me realize about the saying, "You don't know what 'true love' is until you lose it." And then you'll want to give up everything just to have it back with you for any fraction of a second. Best part of the film which I didn't find in the book: Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die! My rating for The princess bride is 3 bookmarks out of 5 bookmarks.

Unfortunately it wasn't a just go away and relax vacation. It was be there for someone else vacation. I did get out of town. I did meet lots of people who were strangers to me. Spent some quality time with those I am close to. And on and on. I am sure you get the gist of my very vague post. Being out of my usual comfort zone gave me some thinking time too. Time that I was able to reflect on things going on in my head and in my heart. I can honestly say I really have no desire right now to be dealing with these things in my head or in my heart. I would so much rather just be having fun and enjoying all of my life right now. I gave some thought to this blog. I want it to be a little something more than just erotic writing. I know so many come by just to read those stories, and I truly hope I have written them well enough to be given the honor of read all the way through by lots and lots of people who have never commented (and all of it is in addition to all of my wonderful commentors to this blog).

I took a little vacation. Not that anyone really needed an explanation for my absence. But there it is. I am choosing not to advertise when I go on vacation. Someone I know did that, and while they were on vacation, they got robbed. True story, it really does happen. But now that I am back, I am happy to report that I took a vacation.

I've found in retirement anything out of the routine schedule seems much bigger than before my retirement. I hate that. I'm going to have to clean my bathroom and dust in the same day and I feel pressured. We have company arriving tomorrow from Wichita Falls, TX and Denver. I thought they were arriving on Wednesday but I was wrong. They're arriving on Tuesday, thus the pressure. We're going to see if we can cool off those Texans. I'm a little disappointed that it looks like temperatures will be in the low eighties. I would have preferred high seventies, but I suppose when you've been having temperatures well over one hundred for days on end the low eighties will be fine. They're in such a drought in Texas they will enjoy seeing how green things are in Oregon. Even though we've been here seven years I never tire of seeing the beautiful hanging baskets everywhere you go here. They're so refreshing. This is a picture I made last summer but I don't have time this morning to run out and make new ones. Remember, I have to clean the bathroom and dust today. On Main street in our town they have double hangers on the lamp posts with two of these hanging on each post. How about petunias in August? Have a good week. I probably won't be around until after my company leaves on Friday.

As far as my health has gone, I have my good days and I have my bad days. I just take it in stride. I know that my body is fully capable of healing itself and so I am just eating healthy, taking herbs and supplements and trying to get enough rest. And of course being in the sunshine with my garden helps too.